


Five Reasons Mitchell Can't Call Daniel "Daniel"

by Paian



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: 100-1000 Words, 5 Things, Character Study, Community: sg1_five_things, Gen, Season/Series 09
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-07
Updated: 2007-01-07
Packaged: 2017-10-08 17:50:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/78004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paian/pseuds/Paian





	Five Reasons Mitchell Can't Call Daniel "Daniel"

When they first met, Jackson told Mitchell to call him Daniel. Mitchell didn't; it presumed a familiarity he hadn't earned and an equality he wasn't comfortable asserting. A couple of days' observation showed him that Jackson told everybody to call him Daniel and nobody -- nobody at the SGC, anyway, nobody from Earth who had any professional dealings with him -- took him up on it. Mitchell opted for "Jackson" because there's a manly camaraderie to surnames that he wanted very badly to assert -- eager to make his mark, differentiate himself from O'Neill, establish his own relationships with the two members of the team he hadn't already known, get palsy without overstepping. The single name "Teal'c" was easy -- as easy as the full-name formality with which Teal'c got around the issue of names entirely. "Jackson" was a compromise: not so formal as "Doctor Jackson," not so much of a mouthful to spit out during heavy action, not as disrespectful to a veteran as the first name but not as deferential as the title, either. Jackson will always have the seniority, but as long as the military operates the SGC Mitchell will have the authority. Last-name basis neatly covers both angles -- and because Mitchell's the only one who does call him Jackson, the surname doubles as its own kind of affectionate nickname. Mostly, though, he sticks with the name because the longer he works with Jackson the more clearly he can see the shield of distance Jackson's projected around himself. Maybe O'Neill and Carter got in there before the shield went up, or maybe they're the only two living people that Jackson ever told to call him Daniel and meant it; either way, there's a cold distance to Daniel Jackson that has nothing to do with familiarity or seniority or anything but Daniel Jackson's personal space. He can act as laid-back and adorable and easygoing as an old family dog, but take one step too close and you can see your breath condense in the icy air. Mitchell calls Jackson "Jackson" because it's what Jackson lets himself be called.

If and when Jackson's ready for Mitchell to start calling him Daniel, he'll let Mitchell know.


End file.
